They come to Sinai: the people are commanded to be sanctified. The Lord, coming in thunder and lightning, speaks with Moses.

¹ In the third month of the departure of Israel from the land of Egypt, in that day, they arrived in the wilderness of Sinai.

² Thus, setting out from Raphidim, and going directly to the desert of Sinai, they encamped in the same place, and there Israel pitched their tents away from the region of the mountain.

³ Then Moses ascended to God. And the Lord called to him from the mountain, and he said: “This you shall say to the house of Jacob, and announce to the sons of Israel:¹

1. 19:3And Moses went up to God: Moses went up to mount Sinai, where God spoke to him.(Challoner)

⁴ ‘You have seen what I have done to the Egyptians, in what way I carried you upon the wings of eagles and how I have taken you for myself.

⁵ If, therefore, you will hear my voice, and you will keep my covenant, you will be to me a particular possession out of all people. For all the earth is mine.

⁶ And you will be to me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you will speak to the sons of Israel.”

⁷ Moses went, and calling together those greater by birth among the people, he set forth all the words which the Lord had commanded.

⁸ And all the people responded together: “Everything that the Lord has spoken, we shall do.” And when Moses had related the words of the people to the Lord,

⁹ the Lord said to him: “Soon now, I will come to you in the mist of a cloud, so that the people may hear me speaking to you, and so that they may believe you continuously.” Therefore, Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord,

¹⁰ who said to him: “Go to the people, and sanctify them today, and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments.

¹¹ And let them be prepared on the third day. For on the third day, the Lord will descend, in the sight of all the people, over Mount Sinai.

¹² And you will establish limits for the people all around, and you will say to them: ‘Take care not to ascend to the mountain, and that you do not touch its parts. All who touch the mountain, shall die a death.’

¹³ Hands shall not touch him, but he shall be crushed with stones, or he shall be pierced through with darts. Whether it be a beast or a man, he shall not live. For when the trumpet begins to sound, perhaps they might go up toward the mountain.”¹

1. 19:13Verse 12 has an order prohibiting the people from ascending the mountain under pain of death. Verse 13 is sometimes translated as if the sounding of the trumpet permits them to ascend. (Only on the last day, at the time of the general resurrection, does the sounding of the trumpet permit the faithful to ascend to God.) But, in the context of ancient times at Mount Sinai, the translation is that the sounding of the trumpet (and the other signs that cause the people to wonder) might cause them to ascend, i.e. out of curiosity and against God’s orders.(Conte)

¹⁴ And Moses came down from the mountain to the people, and he sanctified them. And when they had washed their garments,

¹⁵ he said to them, “Be prepared on the third day, and do not draw near to your wives.”¹

1. 19:15The word ‘appropinquetis’ is here used as a euphemism, referring to marital relations.(Conte)

¹⁶ And now, the third day arrived and the morning dawned. And behold, thunders began to be heard, and also lightning flashed, and a very dense cloud covered the mountain, and the noise of the trumpet resounded vehemently. And the people who were in the camp were fearful.

¹⁷ And when Moses had led them out to meet God, from the place of the camp, they stood at the base of the mountain.

¹⁸ Then all of Mount Sinai was smoking. For the Lord had descended over it with fire, and smoke ascended from it, as from a furnace. And the entire mountain was terrible.

¹⁹ And the sound of the trumpet gradually increased to be louder, and extended to be longer. Moses was speaking, and God was answering him.

²⁰ And the Lord descended over Mount Sinai, to the very top of the mountain, and he called Moses to its summit. And when he had ascended there,

²¹ he said to him: “Descend, and call the people to witness, lest they might be willing to transgress the limits, so as to see the Lord, and a very great multitude of them might perish.

²² Likewise, the priests who approach toward the Lord, let them be sanctified, lest he strike them down.”

²³ And Moses said to the Lord: “The people are not able to ascend to Mount Sinai. For you testified, and you commanded, saying: ‘Set limits around the mountain, and sanctify it.’ ”

²⁴ And the Lord said to him, “Go, descend. And you shall ascend, and Aaron with you. But let not the priests or the people transgress the limits, nor ascend to the Lord, lest perhaps he may put them to death.”

²⁵ And Moses descended to the people, and he explained everything to them.